


Keep Dreaming Like We'll Live Forever

by goodluckgettingtosleep



Series: Now or Never - Luke's Bucket List [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Bisexual Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Bisexual Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Bucket List, Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Friendship/Love, Luke Patterson-centric (Julie and The Phantoms), M/M, Post-Season/Series 01, but no sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:07:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28095903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodluckgettingtosleep/pseuds/goodluckgettingtosleep
Summary: A few weeks before the Orpheum, Luke wrote a list of things he wanted to do before he turned 20. Obviously he never got that far, but the list is still there, crammed into his notebook. Death didn’t make him quite as dead as he expected, though, so maybe there is still a chance to do all the things he missed out on when he was alive.
Relationships: Alex & Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina & Luke Patterson, Luke Patterson/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Series: Now or Never - Luke's Bucket List [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2070648
Comments: 31
Kudos: 195





	Keep Dreaming Like We'll Live Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Aye. It's been a week since I first watched this show and I am obsessed with it. It has so quickly turned into one of my emotional support shows, and it's been a long time since I emotionally connected with a character as much as I connected with Luke. So, naturally, I had to write about him. That was all I wanted, really. The Luke/Reggie thing kind of just happened as I went along. I got the biggest bi vibes from both of them, so there we go. I'm also going into his relationship with Julie, though. I just love all the relationships on this show. 
> 
> Sadly no beta, 'cause none of my friends are in this fandom yet. I hope you enjoy. xx

Luke had always been so good at following his dreams. He’d poured everything into his music, lived for it every second of his short life, and had defied his parents for it so many times that it had hurt him in the end; not nearly as much as it had hurt his mother, though, and that was something he would regret for the rest of his afterlife. They’d cared for him so much, they had loved him, and had always wanted the best for him; he knew that now. And even though he also knew he had done the right thing in pursuing his music career, it didn’t make his regrets any more bearable. 

But the thing was, he had focussed on his music so much, he now felt like he had also missed out on a lot of other things. He’d only ever kissed one person, for one, at a stupid party when he was 16. It had been sloppy, and kind of awkward, and Luke had never seen the girl again afterwards. He’d never had sex, either, which was just really unfortunate, wasn’t it?

Not long before he had died, Luke had written a list of things he wanted to do before he turned 20, and another one with things he wanted to do before he turned 30. Obviously he’d never gotten that far, but the list was still there, crammed into his notebook. He hadn’t looked at the list since he and his friends had made their grand return as ghosts, but now that they had managed to get rid of that cursed stamp, a lot of things seemed possible again. So he pulled it out one night, when Alex was out with Willie, and Reggie was lounging on the couch next to him watching some Star Wars spin off series on a small wireless screen Julie had called an iPad. Julie was most likely asleep. It must’ve been well past midnight. 

“I forgot about this,” Luke commented quietly as his eyes wandered over his own, terrible handwriting. 

“What?” Reggie looked up from his show, eyeing him curiously. 

“It’s a bucket list I wrote a few weeks before the Orpheum,” Luke told him, holding up the piece of paper he’d ripped out of his notebook. 

“Oh. Yikes.” Reggie paused his show and put the iPad aside. “That’s unfortunate, dude. What’s on it?” 

Luke shrugged. 

“Lots of things. A few I wanted to do before I turned 20, some more before I turned 30.” 

“Man, that didn’t quite work out, did it? Though technically you’re still 17, even at 42. Grandpa,” Reggie joked and shook his head. Luke smiled sadly, not sure whether he wanted to punch Reggie, or hug him, because he kind of needed the comfort. 

“Let’s hear it, then,” Reggie said, apparently sensing the way Luke wasn’t quite in the mood to joke around. 

Luke stayed silent for a moment longer, just looking at Reggie, the way one of his cheeks had turned red again, the way his eyes gleamed as if he still had an actual body that wasn’t buried somewhere six feet under, likely nothing more than bones at this point. Luke shuddered at the thought, suddenly feeling a bit chilly, and focussed back on his list instead. 

“Number 1: Play the Orpheum.” 

Reggie smiled. “Well, at least you can cross that one off now.” 

Luke returned his smile and nodded, reaching for his pen and crossing the point off his list. He’d been so certain that playing the Orpheum was their unfinished business. They’d spent years working their way up to playing there, only for that dream to be cut short right in front of the finish line. He kept wondering what that night would’ve been like if they had made different choices. He tried not to think about anything beyond that. 

“Number 2: Write and record an entire album. I guess… I guess we can still do that,” Luke said, his smile growing a little broader at the thought of getting another chance to leave something behind, to be remembered by his music, even though he was dead, and never got to spend enough being alive to make it happen. They could still record an album with Julie now, though, and that was so much more than he could’ve hoped for when he’d floated out of that ambulance. 

“Totally!” Reggie agreed, scooting a little closer and trying to get a glance at Luke’s list. Luke hid it behind his back, holding out a hand to keep his friend away. 

“ _I’m_ reading,” he reminded him. Reggie raised his hands in surrender. “Alright.” 

“Number 3...” Luke swallowed as he read the next point on his list, tears stinging in his eyes. _Fuck_. “Apologize and make up with Mom.” 

“Oh,” Reggie said softly, quickly sitting up, though, wrapping a hand round Luke’s wrist. “But you kind of did now, didn’t you? Now that your Mom knows your song.” 

Luke looked up to meet Reggie’s eyes, tears threatening to spill over. 

“I suppose, yes,” he agreed quietly, “It said everything I had to say, but I would’ve liked for her to see me, so I could show her that I meant it, and give her a hug.” 

Reggie squeezed his wrist in a comforting gesture. And Luke was grateful, really. Because Reggie hadn’t always been so in tune with other people’s feelings. He tended to be a little oblivious, and often didn’t really know how to deal with emotions. 

“I think she knows.” 

Luke focussed on the way Reggie’s cool fingers felt on his skin for a moment, taking a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. Deep down, he knew Reggie was right. His Mom loved him, and she was still mourning him. She knew how sorry he was, how much it meant that he had put her in a song, making her part of his music; something that was so important to him, he had picked it over his parents in the end. 

Clearing his throat, he blinked away the tears in his eyes and focussed back on his list. 

“Number 4: Go to prom.” Luke coughed, blushing a faint shade of pink as Reggie started laughing. He smacked him, feigning outrage, despite knowing how ridiculous that sounded, coming from him. 

“Prom, huh? Who would’ve thought, Mr Rockstar.” 

“Um, yeah? For research purposes. How can I write believable songs about anything relatable, really, if I’ve never even been to prom?” he asked, immediately realizing what that implied. That he’d very realistically planned to actually attend prom, a few months after their Orpheum show. With whom, he had no idea. He hadn’t really been crushing on anyone at school. 

“Sure,” Reggie said with a smile so kind, Luke almost believed he meant it without any judgment or teasing at all. “Who did you wanna go with, then?” he asked. Luke swallowed.

“Not sure. Maybe I’d have asked you, or Alex. Bobby wouldn’t have gone with me anyways.” 

Reggie hummed, his hand sneaking from Luke’s wrist to his hand, intertwining their fingers. Luke faintly noticed how intimate it felt to hold hands like this, even though they had always been very affectionate and touchy with each other.

“That would’ve been fun, wouldn’t it?” 

Luke nodded, staring down at the piece of paper in his hand in an attempt to avoid Reggie‘s eyes. “Yeah.” 

“Well, maybe you can go to Julie’s prom. Either with her or… we could all go,” Reggie suggested, voice high pitched in that way it always got when he was excited about something. Luke grinned, glad they had quickly recovered from that moment of tension between them. He suspected that it had been rather one sided anyway. 

“I guess. That would be cool.” 

They smiled at each other for a moment longer, before Reggie broke the silence again. 

“Let’s hear the next one.” 

Luke held the list up in front of him. “Alright. Number 5. Oh! Right.” He laughed. He’d forgotten about that one. And suddenly he was acutely aware of Reggie’s hand in his again. It wasn’t like he’d never wondered. Well... “Kiss a boy.” 

Reggie punched Luke on the shoulder, eyebrows raised as he was eying him curiously, an amused sort of smile ghosting around his lips. Luke shrugged.

“What? It’s a valid point. You never know unless you try it. Dudes can be hot.” 

Reggie’s eyes narrowed slightly, head tilted to the side as if he was considering something. Luke looked at him expectantly, unsure what he was going to say. 

“You do have a point,” he agreed after a moment or two. “Let’s do it, then. Let’s try it and cross that one off the list.” 

Luke stared at him. He definitely hadn’t expected Reggie to offer so freely. He considered it for a moment, the thought of leaning in and brushing his lips against Reggie’s. It didn’t sound bad. He _liked_ Reggie, and his friend was certainly good on the eyes as well. Even if he wasn’t a ghost with limited options available, he might’ve just taken Reggie up on the offer. One thing less to wonder about. 

“Okay. Fuck it, yeah. Let’s do it,” he said, turning to face Reggie. He was already closer than Luke had realised, and his eyes were wide, his lips slightly parted. They sat there looking at each other for several moments, Luke’s eyes flickering between Reggie’s lips and his eyes. Why he was suddenly feeling so nervous about this stupid little thing, he didn’t know. It was just a kiss, after all. And Reggie was his friend. Closer than a friend, even. 

He took a deep breath and leaned in closer, something tingling pleasantly in his stomach as he noticed Reggie’s eyes fluttering shut. So, without further ado, Luke finally closed the last bit of distance between them and softly brushed his lips against Reggie’s. They were soft and warm, and he responded eagerly as he kissed him back a lot less sloppily than the girl at that party. It started out chastely, just brushing their lips together again and again until Luke pressed a little closer, the fluttering beneath his rib cage propelling him on. Wasn’t it strange that he could still feel physical sensations like that even though he had no body? It was only a faint thought in the back of his mind. He was too wrapped up in his friend and the whole new world of feelings and possibilities they had opened up. It felt so good to kiss him, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t supposed to feel this good. 

Reggie’s hand came up the back of Luke’s neck to keep him close, and Luke held onto the front of Reggie’s shirt as he kept kissing him. He’d truly never known kissing could feel like that. The last time he had done it, it certainly hadn’t. 

When they pulled apart for air they didn’t actually need, cheeks flushed, Luke met Reggie’s eyes, and found his own wonder reflected in them. They started giggling at the same time, the laughter bubbling up in Luke like he couldn’t believe what they had just done and how incredible it had felt. Reggie was much the same, almost toppling over as he laughed, reaching for Luke’s hand and holding onto it as if to keep himself steady. 

“I think I’m bisexual,” Luke blurted between giggles, surprising himself with the announcement. He hadn’t really thought about it, but yes. It felt right. If he was reacting so intensely to kissing a boy, there was no way he could still call himself straight. Not that he ever had, really. He’d always avoided defining his sexuality in so many words.

“I’ll take that as a compliment for my supreme kissing skills,” Reggie teased with a smile. “But I might be, too, I think. This was hot. _Wow_.” 

Luke beamed at him. It was surprising, but not surprising at all at the same time. It made sense, strangely, that they had reached this point. And then he did the only thing he could think of. He kissed him again. 

This time, it didn’t start out as a chaste brush of lips, instead continuing right where they had left off, until Luke started using his tongue experimentally, further deepening their kiss. Reggie responded just as eagerly as before, wrapping one arm around Luke’s waist to pull him closer, his other hand still holding on to Luke’s. He intertwined their fingers, and Luke was pretty sure he hadn’t felt this good off stage in a very long time. He was warm and tingly all over, and kissing Reggie was definitely way better than it should be, considering they were friends and bandmates and _dead_. 

Luke had no idea how long they’d been kissing when he decided to climb onto Reggie’s lap and push him down, so he was leaning against the backrest and he could hover over him, straddling his hips. Reggie looked a little messed up, cheeks pink, hair tousled, and lips glistening. Luke kissed him again, hands now wandering up and down his sides, turning their initially innocent kissing into a full on make out session. So that was a thing, then, he thought faintly. 

A startled cough interrupted them just when Luke was about to find out what kissing the side of Reggie’s neck would be like. Instead he shot up, eyes wide when he found a distinctly shocked looking Alex in the middle of the garage, gaping at them. 

“Oh. Hi, Alex,” Reggie said casually, grinning stupidly as he let his hand wander down Luke’s back, letting it rest on the lower part of it. 

Alex gestured back and forth between them, clearly taken aback. 

“Oooookay,” he said, shaking his head, “What the fuck did I just walk in on?” 

Luke felt frozen, unable to say anything, even though he didn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed, really. There was nothing to be embarrassed about. 

“Luke and I tried something new,” Reggie told him instead, and honestly, bless him for being his usual, brazen self. Reggie had always been so easy going, so casual and unbothered. Luke had always admired him for that. 

“I can see that,” Alex said, looking at them like they were the biggest idiots he’d ever seen. They probably were. 

“He wrote a bucket list before the Orpheum, you see,” Reggie informed their friend, “We were working on ticking off some things, and things got a bit out of hand. Didn’t know kissing your friend could be this good.” 

“SO good,” Luke finally said, and _really?_ That was the one thing he had to say? 

Alex’s eyes landed on him, and he threw his hands up, looking completely exasperated. 

“So, what, did you both have some kind of gay awakening while I was gone, because oh boy, I wish you’d had that sooner. Maybe around those times I had a crush on each of you idiots.” 

“You had a crush on us? Flattering,” Reggie commented. Luke smacked his arm and shot him a warning glance. 

“Kind of?” Luke said honestly. “I wondered, so I put it on my bucket list. Now I know. Definitely bisexual.” 

Reggie shrugged, finally sitting up straighter and wrapping both his arms around Luke’s waist. He was still straddling his hips rather inappropriately. But Reggie was hugging him like a koala now, and Luke didn’t particularly feel like pushing him away. 

“I never wondered. But yeah. What Luke said. I can’t find kissing him _this_ hot when I’m straight, right?” 

Alex flopped down onto the piano bench, looking like he needed a moment or two to process. 

“I can’t believe this. I thought _I_ was the gay one in this band. Now you’re telling me we all are?” 

“Well…” Luke finally pushed Reggie away enough so he could turn to look at Alex. “You still are the gay one in this band. We’re the bi ones, apparently.” 

Alex didn’t look particularly convinced, but there was a small smile beginning to form on his lips, at least. 

“So are you gonna be like… an item, then?” he asked, looking from Luke to Reggie, eyebrows raised in question. Luke turned to look at Reggie, who was sitting there still looking all mussed and _kissed_ and really adorable. He very much wanted to kiss him again, but did he really want to _date_ him? Reggie was his best friend, as was Alex, so yeah, of course he loved him already. But _dating_ implied so much more, and they were _dead_ anyway, so what exactly was the point of that? 

They held a silent conversation with their eyes before turning back to look at Alex at the same time, both shaking their heads. 

“Nahhh,” they said simultaneously. 

“We’re just gonna be friends who kiss each other sometimes,” Reggie told him. “We’re dead anyway, so who cares? Right, Luke?” 

Luke nearly kissed him again just because they were on the same page so thoroughly. 

“Yep. Even if we weren’t dead, though. Nothing wrong with a little kissing and… stuff.” 

Alex made a face at them, his mouth twitching as if he couldn’t quite decide if he wanted to be annoyed or amused. 

“Damn you guys,” he said eventually, barking out a laugh. “I could’ve been in on this! But now Willie and I are kind of… a thing.” 

Alex beamed at them, the news clearly some he’d been excited to share. Luke and Reggie both jumped up from the couch and came over to Alex to hug him, the three of them jumping around in celebration. 

“Yes, man! Finally!”

“So happy for you! Look at you killing it in the afterlife!” 

Alex smiled happily. 

“Thanks, guys.” 

They hugged a bit longer, shoving at Alex as a way of showing him how happy they were for him, until he spotted the list that had somehow ended up on the floor while Luke and Reggie were making out on the couch. 

“So, what else is on your list, then?” he asked. Luke shrugged and picked the list back up from the ground, scanning it with his eyes. 

“Number 6: Go to Europe.” 

“Oh!” Reggie immediately jumped back into his excitement mode. “Now that one’s gonna be much cheaper now that we can just poof anywhere we want!” 

Luke grinned. He hadn’t even thought of that. Of course they could go see Europe and be back by morning. Finally some perks to having no body and being able to teleport anywhere at any time they wanted, he thought. 

“Yes! Let’s go. Oh, um. Let’s do London first. Abbey Road, baby!” 

Seconds later, the three of them appeared in the middle of the famous Abbey Road crosswalk. It was a sunny day in London, and there was a group of people on the sidewalk waiting in line to take a picture on the crosswalk, careful to avoid the cars coming down the road. Luke looked around in awe, trying to understand that he was standing in the same place where The Beatles had shot their famous album cover so many years ago. 

“This is SO COOL!” Alex said, jumping around the street posing like he was a Beatle himself. They joked around for a while, bombing people’s pictures and pretending like they were about to release one of the most important albums in music history themselves. Luke wished they were, of course. In another universe, where they hadn’t made a really bad decision for their dinner plans. 

Grinning, Luke made his acoustic guitar appear and started jamming _Here Comes The Sun_ , thoroughly enjoying the way his audience was looking around in confusion, trying to figure out where the tune was coming from. Reggie and Alex joined in, and Luke only wished he could feel the sun on his face, and the wind around his body. It was all that was missing from feeling alive again. 

After they’d finished the song and bathed in the cheers from the people standing in line, they proofed over to Big Ben and The London Eye, visited Buckingham Palace by teleporting straight into the Queen’s private rooms, where Reggie caused some trouble with the bed sheets, and finally strolled down the streets of Camden Town. 

“I wish I could get a tattoo,” Luke said, glancing a little resentful at his bare forearms. 

“I’m afraid ink doesn’t quite stick on _air_ ,” Alex commented, looking equally put out. 

“I actually think that was the next point on my list. Get a tattoo. Or ten. Rest in peace to that wish.” 

“Oh!” Reggie exclaimed, clearly having another light bulb moment. He was on fire today, really. “Maybe it’s like the instruments thing. Try wishing one onto your skin! It’s not real anyway, so it might just work?” 

Luke hummed, a grin growing on his face as Reggie’s idea processed in his head. It wouldn’t be the same, of course, but it was worth a try. He closed his eyes, picturing the guitar he’d always wanted tattooed onto his skin, wishing it there, and when he opened his eyes again - it was right there on his forearm. 

“HA!” he cheered, “Reginald, you’re actually a genius.” Luke grabbed Reggie’s face and pressed a smooch to the corner of his mouth. “Brilliant!” 

Reggie blushed a little, but smiled brightly, and Luke loved him so much, really. 

“Guys, look!” Alex said, presenting a full tattoo sleeve when they turned around to him. “This is so _sick_!” 

“Dude!” The three of them laughed and cheered as each of them made more tattoos appear on their skin, and even though Luke would’ve preferred the real deal, this came as close to it as he could have, he knew, so he chose to let it make him feel a little more alive. 

They poofed to Berlin next, walking down the East Side Gallery next to the remains of the Berlin Wall, which had been used as canvas for multiple artists, making art out of a bad patch of history. It was inspiring, really, and Luke felt his own creativity bubbling under his skin. The Brandenburg Gate was their next stop, and they were lounging on top of it, watching people take pictures with it in the background and looking up at the structure in awe. 

“Das ist großartig!” Alex said, and Luke had no clue what that meant, but it sounded like a sentiment he shared. “Wir hätten schon früher hierher kommen sollen.” 

“I forgot you speak german,” Reggie remarked. “Guten Tag,” he added, wriggling his eyebrows as if he was expecting a compliment for his own language skills. Luke shoved at him, only to be poked in the side in return. 

“Watch it,” he threatened playfully. Reggie smirked. 

“Ohoo, I’d like to see what you’re gonna _do_ to me.” 

“You have no idea,” Luke replied, painting on his most suggestive smile. Reggie scooted closer, eyes darting to Luke’s lips.

“Have a go, why don’t you?” 

Alex snorted on Luke’s other side, and he turned around to find him rolling his eyes. 

“Your flirting has gotten even worse since you two kissed. It’s horrible.” 

“We weren’t flirting!” Luke and Reggie said at the same time, looking at each other and giggling when they realised. Maybe they had been flirting, a little bit. Reggie leaned over to press a wet kiss to Luke’s cheek. 

“You jealous, Al?” 

Alex snorted. “As if.” 

Luke exchanged a look with Reggie, and the next moment they were on either of Alex’s sides, each pressing a smooch to his cheek. Alex shoved them away, and then they were all laughing again, the feeling filling Luke almost like the sweet buzz of alcohol in his veins. Not that he’d been drunk a lot in his life, but the few encounters with alcohol he’d had, had been quite pleasant, despite the awful hangover. 

“Let’s go to Paris,” Luke said, and a moment later they were standing on top of the Eiffel Tower. It was raining in Paris, the raindrops soaking their clothes and hair, but otherwise falling right through them. It was a strange new sensation. 

“Paris in the rain,” Alex noted, “How romantic.” 

Luke leaned over the railing, looking down onto the hustling tourists that almost looked like ants from so far up. He felt Reggie wrap his arms around his waist from behind, resting his head on his shoulder. 

“We could’ve played all these places on our first world tour,” Luke said, biting his lip. The _what ifs_ kept coming back to haunt him, no matter how much he tried to keep them out and focus on the present. “ _Paris in the rain_ , _we could’ve had it all. Now we’ve got nowhere left to turn, got out of touch, a shell of who we used to be,”_ he sang, making the lyrics and the melody up as he went. Reggie hummed along, his breath tickling the side of Luke’s neck. It was a pleasant sensation, and Luke leaned back a little further into Reggie’s embrace. 

“ _At least we still got us_ , _and we got Paris in the rain, got London in the morning, and Berlin in between._ _Cross me off your bucket list, babe, maybe we can’t have it all, but we are far from done, far from over,”_ Reggie continued. Luke turned halfway around in his arms to look at him, smiling. 

“That’s good, remember that. We gotta write it down as soon as we’re back in the studio.” 

They were so close, their noses almost touching, and Luke felt a little helpless all of a sudden. Like he was falling, and wasn’t sure where he would land.

“I got something to cross off my own bucket list,” Reggie said, voice low. Luke raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah? And what’s that?” 

“Being kissed on top of the Eiffel Tower?” he told him innocently, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. Luke snorted, but turned around the rest of the way and pressed their lips together anyway. It was a short kiss, sweet, and Luke shoved Reggie as soon as he pulled away again, receiving a punch on the shoulder in return. 

“You’re both disgusting,” Alex mumbled, but Luke saw right through his feigned annoyance. “I can’t believe you always told me _I’m_ the emotional one, when you’re the ones cooking up cheesy shit like this without even trying.” 

+++ 

Julie was sitting at the piano, playing a new song Luke hadn’t heard yet, when they returned to the studio. It must’ve been around 8am in LA, and the sun was drowning the studio in a golden light, making Julie look almost ethereal. 

“Oh, hey guys,” she said when they appeared in front of her, smiling brightly. “What have you been up to all night?” 

“We worked on crossing things off Luke’s bucket list,” Reggie told her, taking off his leather jacket and reaching for his red flannel on the couch. Luke watched him absently, biting his lip. Reggie looked good in red, he’d always thought so.

Julie raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Bucket list?” 

Luke snapped out of it and scratched at the back of his head, suddenly feeling faintly embarrassed again. 

“Yeah, I kind of… wrote one, a few weeks before we died. Never got to do most of the stuff on it.” 

“Oh!” Luke loved Julie a little bit for not giving him the pitying look he was expecting. Instead she smiled just as kindly as she always did, looking eager. “Well, you’re still here, so I’m sure you can still cross some things off, right?” 

Alex snorted. “Trust me, he did.” 

Luke shot him a glare. Alex was having way too much fun with this, and Luke couldn’t even blame him. Julie eyed him curiously. 

“Ohoo, what kind of trouble did you get into last night, then?” 

“He and Reggie were making out on the couch when I got back from my date with Willie, for one,” Alex recalled casually. Luke felt a blush creeping to his cheeks as Julie’s eyes widened. He wasn’t embarrassed, that wasn’t it. But he was pretty sure Julie liked him, and Luke really didn’t want to hurt her. 

“Dude!” He and Reggie spoke at the same time again, and it made him blush a bit more. Damn it. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. There’s a _lot_ to unpack there,” Julie said, coming around the piano. “First of all, congrats on your date, Alex. Was about time, if you ask me. So. Now, Luke and Reggie were doing _what_ now?”

Luke cleared his throat. “Look, it wasn’t that big of a deal. One thing on my list was kissing a boy and Reggie was simply kind enough to lend me a… mouth.”

“Hey!” Reggie protested. “That’s all I am to you? A _mouth?_ As I recall you quite enjoyed my _mouth_ , thank you very much. You spend at least an hour with it, anyway.” 

And huh. Luke couldn’t quite tell if Reggie was actually upset by his words, so he raised his hands in surrender. 

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry. Yes, turns out kissing old Reg was way more fun than I expected, so it might have escalated a little.” 

Alex coughed. “Really looked that way on the Eiffel Tower.” 

“You guys went to Paris?” Julie asked.

“Yeah. We did a little Europe trip. London, Berlin, Paris. It was a thing on my list,” Luke confirmed, well aware of the looks Reggie was sending his way. He couldn’t help feeling like he’d put him off with his nonchalance about their kissing. 

“That is SO COOL, you guys. I wish I could just teleport anywhere every time I wanted, too.” 

Luke shrugged. 

“It comes with a few downsides as well, trust me.” 

“Yeah. It _tingles_ ,” Alex agreed. 

“I meant you have to be _dead_ to be able to do it, but sure, Alex.” 

Julie was looking in Reggie’s direction, but when Luke turned, he realised that his friend had disappeared. _Oh_.

“You should go and talk to him. I think he was a bit upset about the mouth thing,” Julie said, “Maybe not your finest moment. Oh, and kudos to you, by the way. On the kissing, I mean.” 

Luke blinked, unable to sort through the many thoughts suddenly shooting through his mind like a rapid fire. Reggie was upset with him? Luke had been so certain that they were on the same page, but it looked like he’d hurt him, and that had never been his intention. Meanwhile Julie seemed fine, but Luke felt like he owed her a conversation. 

“I— I— thanks? Uh. Can we talk later?” 

Julie nodded, punching him on the arm and smiling encouragingly.

“Yes. Now go after Reggie.” 

+++

Luke found Reggie at the beach where his parents' house used to be. He was sitting on a tree trunk staring at the bike shack like it had personally offended him. Luke knew he missed his parents, even though he joked around a lot and tended to gloss over his own emotions a lot of the time. He just wasn’t as tuned into them as Alex was, or even Luke, though he started questioning just how much he actually knew himself after all. 

“I’m sorry,” Luke said as he sat down beside Reggie and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I didn’t mean it that way. I did like kissing you. We were on the same page, remember? This is good.” 

When Reggie looked up at Luke, there were tears in his eyes. Luke swallowed, trying not to think about the way he could do that even though he didn’t have a body and couldn’t eat or drink either. Instead, he reached out to cup Reggie’s cheek in his hand. 

“I love you, man,” Reggie said softly, “Dating would be a bad idea, though, and I still don’t want that. Ghosts don’t date, do they?” 

Luke laughed. “I love you, too, Reg. And yeah, I agree. We can just be… _us_. Like we always were, plus the kissing. It’s too good to drop.” 

Reggie smiled, but the tears in his eyes were still threatening to spill over. 

“Sounds good to me,” he said, voice cracking a little at the end. “It just sounded like… like it didn’t mean _anything_ to you. Like it might as well have been anyone else helping you cross off that point on your list. And _man_ , that _hurt_ way more than I expected.” 

Luke reached out to squeeze Reggie’s hand, intertwining their fingers. 

“There is no one like you, Reg.” 

Reggie nodded, wiping at his eyes. Luke pressed a kiss to his lips. 

“Damn right, there isn’t. I’m amazing,” Reggie said, the grin Luke loved so much forming on his face. He was hopeless, really. 

“Is it okay that I might be a little bit in love with my best friend, anyway?” he asked bravely. Because he was. Reggie made him feel things that couldn’t be described otherwise. It didn’t change anything, but it was true all the same. 

Reggie blushed, red blotches forming all over his cheeks. 

“I can live with that. But only if it’s okay that I might be, too.” 

Luke beamed at him, leaning in to kiss him, just because he felt like it and he was allowed to, now. They sat in silence for a little while after they pulled apart, holding hands as they were watching the customers heading in and out of the bike shack. 

“We could try finding your parents, you know?” Luke suggested softly. Reggie shrugged.

“I wouldn’t even know where to start.” 

Luke squeezed Reggie’s hand again, bringing their entwined fingers up to kiss his knuckles. 

“We’ll figure it out. Maybe Julie can help with one of her fancy computers, or her cleverphone. What’s it called again? _Google?”_

“I think it’s called a smartphone, babe,” Reggie laughed, wiping at his eyes. “Thank you. I would love to find them.” 

“Oh, right! _Smartphone_. How are you supposed to keep up with all this modern technology anyway? 25 years ago barely anyone even had a mobile phone, and now everyone is carrying around a tiny computer that can do basically anything.”

Reggie chuckled. “Right? It’s so weird! Julie said people are barely even buying CDs anymore because they have all their music on their phones. That’s crazy!” 

Luke made a face. “Sounds tragic, if you ask me. What about the album artwork! That’s important, too!” 

They were both quiet for another little while, the waves crashing onto the shore and the idle chatter of passersby the only noise around them. Dying was one thing, essentially travelling in time afterwards was a whole other. But Luke had always been good at adjusting to new situations. He didn’t really understand a lot of the things people said and did now, but he could handle it. He could even use _Google_ now, after Julie had taught him how to. After spending an entire night looking up articles about their tragic demise, though, he hadn’t felt particularly enthused to do it again. 

“What’s the next thing on your bucket list?” Reggie asked eventually, and Luke pulled the crumpled piece of paper from the pocket of his jeans. 

“Number 8: Go skydiving. Hm.” 

“I think that one’s gonna be a little difficult, since we don’t weigh anything, but we can try. Watch this.” Before Luke could say anything, Reggie had poofed them on top of a flying airplane. Luke had the immediate urge to hold onto something, but soon realised that they could stand steadily on the fast moving thing because the wind was going right through them. There were clouds below them, and the sun bright above. 

“Holy shit!” 

“Ha!” Reggie barked out a laugh. 

“This is _dope_ , man.” 

Luke ran along the airplane, and for a moment it almost felt like they had gone to heaven. The kind of heaven you imagined as a kid, anyway. 

When he got back to Reggie, his friend was sitting on one of the wings, holding out his arms. He looked serene, really, and it was completely ridiculous, because he also looked so out of place in his dark punk clothes, making such a stark contrast to the bright white and blue around him. 

“Number 8a: Kiss someone on an airplane wing,” Luke said as he dropped down next to Reggie. 

“If only there was someone here willing to kiss your dumb ass,” Reggie teased. 

“Shut up, you,” Luke told him, and then leaned in to kiss him. He grinned into the kiss, pulling Reggie close by his shirt, and enjoying the way his lips were the one thing he could still taste, aside from the food at Caleb’s cursed ghoul club. His lips were so soft, and Luke could’ve sworn there were a few butterflies fluttering beneath his ghostly rib cage again. They always seemed to, when he was kissing Reggie Peters. A little in love, alright.

“What’s Number 8b, then, if there’s an 8a?” Reggie asked when he pulled away. 

Luke grinned devilishly as an idea came to mind. 

“Number 8b: Push Reginald off a plane.” 

He jumped up and dragged Reggie to his feet, pushing at him until they both stumbled over the edge of the wing, Reggie doing his best to protest and squirm and push back as they did so. But Luke had always been the stronger one of them, physically. Laughing, they held onto each other as they actually started falling, gravity apparently still on their side. It made sense, really, considering they could still jump and had fallen from a ceiling upon their return as ghosts. 

So Luke held onto Reggie’s hand as they were hurtling towards the ground, exhilaration filling him as he screamed it all out, all his pent up frustration, all his pain and grief. Reggie did the same, and even though they had no bodily function that could possibly create adrenaline anymore, he still felt it, still felt alive in a way only adrenaline could make you feel. Maybe it was a ghost of that feeling, just like they were ghosts of themselves. 

When they got close to the ground, Luke poofed them back to the studio, where they tumbled to the ground together, both laughing and panting heavily (seriously, how did that work?), buzzing with the thrill of what they’d just done. 

Alex blinked at them from the couch, looking up from a book he was reading. 

“Do I even want to ask?” 

“Reg and I jumped off a plane,” Luke told him, grinning as he pushed himself up from the ground and brushed off his knees. 

“Jumped? You mean you _pushed_ me off.” 

Luke waved him off. 

“Potayto, Potato.” 

Reggie poked him in the side, and Luke shoved him, flopping down next to Alex to see what he was reading. Something about a potter? 

“What’s this?” Luke asked, reaching for the book. “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” he read, frowning, “Sounds kinda lame, what’s it about?” 

Alex glared at him and snatched the book back.

“A child wizard named Harry Potter who goes to a magical boarding school. Willie says it’s a whole book series, and apparently it’s the most successful of all time. They even made movies out of all seven books.” 

Luke’s frown deepened. “Is it any good?” 

“From what I can tell so far, yes. I’m enjoying it. You can have it when I’m done, if you want.” 

Luke had never really been a heavy reader, but he did enjoy the occasional book. And when the world had gone on to make a book series about a wizard boy into some kind of cultural setback in their absence, he should at least check it out, right? 

“Yeah, I might. Thanks,” he said, leaning back. He caught Reggie’s gaze from the other side of the room. 

“Luuuuuke,” he whined, “Can we check Julie’s computer _now_ , maybe?” 

Luke shook his head. “Dude, we can’t just use her computer without asking. Remember the boundaries thing?” 

Alex looked back up from his book, eying them curiously. “What do you need Julie’s computer for?” 

“We want to look for Reggie’s parents.” 

Alex put the book aside and pointed to the iPad on the coffee table. 

“Alright. Why don’t you use the iPad?” 

Luke gave him a disbelieving look. 

“You can use the _Google_ on that?” 

Nodding, Alex reached for the small screen. 

“Yeah. Julie did the other day. Here.” He handed the iPad over to Luke, already opened on the _Google_. 

“Woah! How are you so good at this technology stuff?” 

Alex shrugged, smiling. “Willie showed me a little.” 

Shaking his head, Luke focussed on the screen in his hands, trying to figure out how to make it work. Reggie was hovering behind him, and Luke couldn’t see him, but he knew for a fact he was gnawing at his lower lip. He always did when he was nervous. 

“How do I type on this thing? It doesn’t have a keyboard.” 

“Just tap onto the search bar and it appears at the bottom,” Alex explained, and Luke followed his instructions, cheering a bit dumbly when the keyboard actually appeared on the screen. Typing went slowly, but eventually he managed to write out Reggie’s mom’s name and tapped onto the small magnifying glass. Reggie sat down next to him on the couch, leaning close so he could look at the results of Luke’s search as well. 

“Is that her?” Luke asked, pointing at a picture from a website called _Facebook_. 

Reggie squinted at the photo, leaning closer to inspect it. 

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “She looks older, but it’s her.” 

“Okay, let’s see…” Luke needed a few attempts to actually get the site to open, but eventually he managed to get to the profile. “Looks like she lives in New York now. And… well, she’s definitely married to someone who’s not your dad. I’m sorry, Reg.” 

Reggie waved him off. 

“Not like it’s surprising. It’s like you said, they were so close to a divorce, and I can’t imagine my death helped their relationship.” 

It took them three hours and Julie’s help at the end to find out where Reggie’s mom lived, but once they did, Reggie poofed right over to New York to see her. Luke offered to go with him, but Reggie was quite adamant about going alone. And Luke understood, really. He wouldn’t have been able to stand any of them there when he went to see his parents for the first time after coming back as a ghost. He’d felt too vulnerable around them, too raw. He usually cried a lot when he was with them, feeling so helpless and lonely, and wishing for nothing more than being able to reach out to his mom and hug her and tell her that he was okay, that he never got to live his dream, but that it had been worth it, in the end, and that he’d gotten a second chance at giving his music to the world. He wanted to apologise, too, to tell her he loved her, to actually _sing_ her _Unsaid Emily_ , and that he wanted her to stop mourning him. It had been so long. Luke couldn’t even imagine her pain. It was so hard, the mess he’d made. And he was so grateful to Julie for giving them his song. For letting him say everything he needed to say, after all. 

Alex went to see Willie again shortly after Reggie had left, leaving him alone with Julie. The silence in the studio was awkward, at first, their conversation from that morning still hanging over them. But if there was one thing Luke had never been able to bear, it was awkward silence. He’d always been the loud one, breaking it one way or another. So he cleared his throat, just when Julie said, “So, are you and Reggie together, then?” 

Luke blushed. He still had a feeling that Julie liked him a little more than she should, given the fact that she was very much alive and he was a ghost who’d died 25 years ago and would never age past 17. Maybe, if he was still alive, and they were the same age… maybe then he could’ve liked her that way, too. Not that they would’ve been, _ever_. If Luke hadn’t eaten that cursed hot dog, he could very well be her dad. But he didn’t want to begin to even think about _that_. And it didn’t matter, anyway. It wasn’t like they had any future together, _ever_. So it didn’t really matter what kind of feelings he had for her. He couldn’t give her hope when there was none. He couldn’t do that to her. Luke cared about Julie too much to hurt her in such a way. So it was best if they were friends. Close friends, who got each other on a deep emotional level, but friends. An interesting little relationship, indeed, forever filled with _what ifs_. But that was okay, he thought. He loved Julie, and Julie loved him, and their connection was unique and beautiful, even without jumping into an ill advised romantic relationship. 

“Nah… we’re just… friends who kiss each other sometimes, from now on,” Luke quoted Reggie, scratching the back of his head and trying so hard to keep the blush from his face. He was being ridiculous, really. 

“Oh,” Julie said, and it was so obvious then that she liked him. And Luke hated his afterlife so much more for it. It wasn’t fair. 

“I’m bisexual,” he blurted, and honestly, he didn’t know what was wrong with him. 

Julie looked surprised, but at least her smile was back. Luke took that as a win. 

“Okay. Cool,” she said. “So I take it Reggie is a good kisser?” 

It was admirable how fast Julie had managed to recover from her disappointment. Luke gauged her expression for a moment, but she looked cheerful, not a trace of defeat left, so Luke shrugged and moaned a little obscenely, grinning. 

“SO good, you wouldn’t even believe it.” 

“Well, I’ve actually never been kissed, so yeah. I definitely wouldn’t believe it,” Julie joked, and when Luke met her eyes, that weird tension was back between them. So he cleared his throat and gently pushed her shoulder. 

“What about that cute guy from your school?” 

“Oh! Nick, you mean… wait, you actually _did_ think he was cute, didn’t you? You weren’t just teasing?” 

Luke chuckled.

“I _was_ teasing, but I also thought he was actually cute. He’s got a good smile.” 

“Well, so do you!” Julie blurted, eyes widening when she realised what she’d said, a hand coming up to cover her mouth. Luke smiled sadly at her, reaching out to take her hand in his. It was still so thrilling that he could feel her now. 

“Look, Julie… I… I feel it, too, what you’re feeling. You and I understand each other. And I love that interesting little relationship that we have. But I’m— I’m _dead_ , Julie. I died a long time ago. You could go visit my grave, if you wanted to. This body—” Luke gestured up and down his solid looking ghost form, “It’s buried somewhere six feet under. I’m never going to age past this. I can’t be that person for you.” 

There were tears in Julie’s eyes threatening to spill over, and Luke hated the fact that he was the one who had put them there. So he did the only thing he could think of, and wrapped her into a tight hug. 

“I’m so sorry, Julie.”

“No, no, it’s fine. You’re right. I know you’re right,” said when she pulled back. “I just forget, sometimes. That you guys aren’t alive. Because you are to me. And it’s so unfair, all of it. That you died, that we would never have had this if you hadn’t…” 

Luke smiled sadly.

“Trust me, sometimes I forget, too. It’s a haunting thought, _what if_.” 

Julie squeezed his hand, the other coming up to wipe her tears away. 

“That’s a good line, you should write that down.” 

Her eyes fell onto the tattoo he’d wished onto his arm the night before, and she reached out and turned his arm to look at it, gently brushing her fingers over his skin. 

“This hasn’t always been there.” It wasn’t a question. 

“No, but it was on my bucket list. Getting a tattoo. So we figured out how to wish them onto our skin.” 

“It’s beautiful,” Julie said, and let go of his arm, sighing as she did so.

“Thanks.” 

She kept looking at him like she had something more to say, and Luke really just wanted to get past their conversation and back into writing songs now. It had been important for them to talk about, for sure, but emotionally draining all the same. 

“Luke?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you like Reggie that way?” 

Luke hummed. _Is it okay that I might be a little bit in love with my best friend?_ Did he always have a crush on Reggie? Probably. Not that he’d been actively aware of it. But Reggie was cute, and talented, and it was hard not to see that. 

“Yeahhh… I think I do.” 

“But you don’t want to be in a relationship with him?” 

Shaking his head, Luke walked over to grab his guitar, heavily implying that he wanted to get past that particular topic. It was uncomfortable, and Luke had never really good had handling uncomfortable conversations. He’d proven that to the worst when he never went back to his parents’ house after storming out with a packed bag and his guitar. 

“Nope. At least not now.” 

Julie smiled and nodded, then walked over to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. 

“You’re something else, Patterson,” she said. Luke snorted. 

“Yeah, I’m _dead_ , for one.” 

Julie laughed. It was good to see her laugh. 

“I meant more on a personal level, but sure. That, too. Okay, then. Let’s make some music, ghostie.” 

“Yes!” Luke said eagerly, his guitar already slung over his shoulder. It was amazing how much the prospect of creating new music could cheer him up. “So there is this bit Reggie and I came up with last night, it’s called _Paris in the Rain_ …” 

+++

Luke and Julie were almost done writing _Paris in the Rain_ when Reggie poofed back into the studio. Immediately realising that something was wrong, Luke put his guitar down and walked towards him, instinctively reaching out for him, but before he even got that far, Reggie was already wrapped around him and sobbing onto his shoulder. A bit taken aback, he put his arms around him, one hand coming up to the back of his head, holding him close. 

“What’s wrong, Reg?” he asked quietly. Reggie didn’t let go, instead mumbling into Luke’s t-shirt. 

“She had another kid and named him Reginald Junior. He’s 22 and going to NYU. He’s _oh so handsome._ She replaced me! Also, my dad died of cancer a few years back, apparently.” 

Luke’s heart broke for him. He couldn’t even imagine the pain of finding out your mom had another child and gave them your name after you died. It was a tad insensitive, even though Luke could see why Reggie’s mom might have done it. People had their own ways of dealing with their grief, after all. Maybe she thought she was honouring her lost first born. 

“I’m sure she didn’t mean to replace you,” Luke said quietly, rubbing a hand up and down Reggie’s back. “Maybe she just wanted to honour you. Remember you.” 

Reggie pulled back a little to look at him, wiping at his eyes. They were red and puffy, his cheeks pink and tear stained. Luke reached out to gently brush them away with his thumb. 

“Doesn’t feel like it. She doesn’t even have a lot of pictures of me on her walls.” 

“I’m sorry, Reg. I really am. But I’m _sure_ she still thinks of you every day.” 

Reggie opened his mouth to say something else, but Julie was faster. 

“I could call her for you, if you want? I spoke to Luke’s parents, and I would happily do the same for you.” 

Reggie seemed to consider her offer carefully for a moment, and then he nodded, albeit a little hesitantly. “You would do that for me?” 

Julie came over to them and pulled Reggie into a hug. 

“Of course, silly. You’re my _friend_.” 

“Thank you,” Reggie said with a small, sad smile when they let go of each other. Luke reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. 

“Get me her number and I will do it right away,” Julie said. 

Reggie blinked. “Aaaand how would I do that?” 

Julie grinned at him. 

“Wait until she unlocks her phone, and then check it. Look, I’ll show you where to find it…” 

About an hour later, Reggie returned with the number scribbled onto a piece of paper. He still looked a little shaken but much more composed this time. Luke and Julie had been jamming on the couch when he appeared back in the studio, and Luke pulled him onto his lap and hugged him from behind as Julie was dialing. It took a few endless moments until Reggie’s mom finally picked up. Reggie grabbed Luke’s hand and held on tight. 

“Hello?” 

Julie gave Reggie a smile and turned back to the phone. 

“Hi. This is Julie Molina. Mrs Peters?” 

“Yes?” 

“I understand this probably comes as a surprise, and you don’t know who I am, but my family owns the garage your son’s band used to rehearse in.” 

There was a small gasp on the other end of the line.

“Oh. Okay.” 

“I know he died a long time ago, and I’m so sorry. But I came across some of his old stuff, and there was a letter from him addressed to you, and I just wondered if I could send it to you?” 

This time, the gasp on the line sounded more like a sob. Luke tightened his grip around Reggie’s hand. 

“Oh my god. My Reggie wrote me a letter?” 

“Yes,” Julie said, her kind eyes meeting Reggie’s. The letter was not actually written yet, but it would be.

“He wrote that he’s sorry for being out with his friends so much, and that you and his dad were fighting so much because of it. He also wrote about his music, and how much the band meant to him.” 

“Oh.” Reggie’s mom was full on crying now, and so was Reggie. Luke could feel the tears stinging in his eyes. Not only did he feel for his friend, he was also reminded of his own mom, and the way she had cried for him for so long. 

“I’m so sorry, Mrs Peters, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Julie said, her eyes filled with tears now, too. 

“No, no! Don’t be. I’m so grateful,” Mrs Peters said, her voice breaking. “It’s just… been so long. Reggie was so young when he died, you know? His dad and I were never okay again after he was gone. I remarried, but… there has always been a hole in my heart, even after I had another child. I named him after my lost baby, so he would remember his brother, even though he never got to know him.” There was a pause. Mrs Peters was still crying, her quiet sniffs coming through the phone in irregular intervals. “Oh, I’m so sorry, dear. I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this. You’re the first connection I’ve had to him in such a long time.” 

“It’s okay, Mrs Peters. I understand. I’m glad you told me. This studio… it has a lot of their memories. It’s like I can feel their spirits when I’m playing my own music here. And it’s so peaceful. Your son was very talented. I found some of their recordings and… they were going to do amazingly.” 

“Thank you, Julie. Please…” Mrs Peters sniffed again, “Feel free to send me some of his things whenever you want. I would appreciate it.” 

Julie nodded, even though Reggie’s mom couldn’t see her. “Of course. I will.” 

“I love you, Mom,” Reggie whispered, and buried his face in Luke’s neck. Luke rubbed a hand over his back, and listened as Julie ended the call. After she’d put down the phone, she wrapped her arms around them both, and they sat huddled together like that for a long time, until Alex came back and joined them without asking. There was no need for words. Reggie had gotten all the answers that he needed. 

+++ 

“So, what’s the next thing on your bucket list, Luke?” Reggie asked a little later, when he and Luke were cuddled up on the sofa, Julie and Alex lounging close by on the floor, backs against the sofa. 

“I don’t know.” Luke wriggled around to get the piece of paper out of his jeans pocket. He moved around when he got it, so his head was resting on Reggie’s chest as he read the next point out loud. 

“Number 9: Have one of our songs played on the radio.” 

Julie snorted. “Sometimes I forget you guys are from the 90s. Barely anyone even listens to the radio anymore. Aside from like… in a store, or something.” 

Luke frowned. 

“Really? Oh, does it have to do with that _streaming?”_

Julie nodded. “In fact, it does. You’re keeping up!” 

“Well, what would be equal to being played on the radio now, then?” Luke asked. 

“I dunno, maybe get like a million streams on Spotify? I’m not sure, honestly. Or get placed on one of the popular playlists, I guess.”

Luke was still utterly confused by everything Julie was saying, and he exchanged looks with Reggie and Alex, who both looked equally out of the loop. 

“Well that, then.” 

“I mean we already got over a million views on YouTube, so that might count as well?” 

Reggie’s face lit up and he gave Luke a gentle smack on the shoulder. 

“There you go, then. Cross it off.” 

Shrugging, Luke leaned over Reggie to reach for a pen and did as he was told. 

“Number ten… Go skinny dipping at the beach.” 

“Dude! You grew up in L.A. and you never went skinny dipping?” Reggie asked incredulously. 

“I haven’t,” Julie offered a little shyly. 

Luke poked Reggie in the side, making him squirm. 

“I did in a pool, once. But not at the beach.”

Reggie managed to wriggle out from under Luke and grabbed his hand. 

“Let’s go, then.” 

“Julie?” Luke asked. She laughed, and shook her head. 

“I’m out on that one, but you guys go have fun.” 

A few moments later, Luke, Reggie, and Alex were looking out over the ocean as the sun was setting over Venice Beach. 

“There are two more things on my list after this one,” Luke said, taking in the orange colored horizon. 

“I hope those don’t also involve three queer punks getting naked together,” Alex commented, immediately blushing when he realised what he’d said. Luke coughed. 

“Well, one of them does a little bit. Kind of.” 

Reggie snorted. 

“I think I can guess what it is. Say it, Luke.” 

Sighing, Luke pulled out the list. 

“Number 11: Have sex.” 

Alex groaned, and Reggie chuckled. 

“Let’s save that one for another day,” he said, meeting Luke’s eyes and _winking_. He _winked_. He was such a bastard, and Luke blushed so furiously, he chased him right into the ocean just to cover it up. 

It wasn’t exactly skinny dipping, after all. But what was the point of that when no one could see them anyway, right? So Luke tackled Reggie into the shallow water, and when they were both soaked, they ran back across the beach to drag Alex in with them. He was kicking and screaming, but they got him in anyway, and it quickly turned into an extended water fight. 

A little later, when the sun had nearly set, they were lying sprawled out on the beach, soaked and laughing. 

“So, what’s the last one?” Alex asked, propping himself up on his elbows. Luke hummed. He smiled at him, then turned to smile at Reggie as well. 

“Be happy,” he said quietly, with an almost solemn undertone. 

Reggie took his hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. 

“And what’s the status on that one?” 

Luke thought back over the last 24 hours, and all the weeks before that. He thought about the way he would still need to learn how to exist with his regrets, but was doing better each day, and had finally been able to make peace with his parents. He thought about the connection he had with Julie, and the music they created and would continue to make together. He thought about the second chance he’d been given at living his dream, about Alex’s gentle touches and caring words, and about Reggie’s lips on his. He thought about the fun they still had together every day, and how he’d thought that he would never get to do all those things he’d dreamed up. The last 24 hours had proved him wrong, though, and he thought that for a dead guy, he was really having the time of his life. 

“I love you guys,” he said. “And I’m happy.” 

The next thing he knew, he had an armful of Reggie and Alex, piled up like they usually were, and Luke felt more alive than he ever had, his pain feeling like a distant memory he could access when he needed to, but didn’t have to carry around his sleeve anymore. _Yeah_ , he thought, he was happy.

\- END - 

**Author's Note:**

> Check out the next fic in this series for Luke's bucket list of things he wanted to do before he turned 30. xx


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